For Me, It’s Nonprofits. What’s Yours?
Finding Your Passion and Purpose at Any Stage of Life
For Me, It’s Nonprofits. What’s Yours?
By June White
There comes a point in many women’s lives when we pause and ask ourselves a simple but powerful question:
Is this all there is?
For years, we may have been focused on building careers, raising families, supporting others, meeting obligations, and doing what needed to be done. We become experts at taking care of everyone else. Yet somewhere along the way, many of us lose sight of something equally important: ourselves.
I want every woman reading this to know something I wish more people had told me sooner:
It is never too late to discover your passion. It is never too late to reinvent yourself. And it is never too late to live your best life.
For me, that passion is nonprofit work—specifically in mental health.
While my professional journey has included many chapters, I have found my greatest sense of purpose in serving organizations whose mission is larger than themselves.
There is something incredibly rewarding about knowing that the work you do each day directly impacts lives, strengthens communities, and creates hope for people who need it most.
Today, I have the privilege of working in the nonprofit sector for a NAMI affiliate*, where every project, partnership, donor, volunteer, and program contributes to something meaningful. The work is not always easy, but it is deeply fulfilling. I wake up knowing that what I do matters.
What I have learned is that passion does not always arrive on schedule.
Sometimes it finds us in our twenties. Sometimes in our forties. Sometimes in our sixties and beyond.
Too often, women believe that if they have not discovered their “calling” by a certain age, they have somehow missed their opportunity. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Life is not a straight line. It is a series of experiences, lessons, successes, setbacks, and unexpected turns that prepare us for what comes next. Every chapter teaches us something valuable. Every challenge builds resilience. Every experience contributes to who we become.
The beauty of getting older is that we gain clarity. We become less concerned about what others expect and more interested in what truly brings us joy, fulfillment, and purpose.
Maybe your passion is mentoring young people.
Maybe it’s starting a business or a podcast.
Maybe it’s painting, writing, traveling, teaching, advocating, volunteering, gardening, coaching, or pursuing a dream you have quietly carried for years.
Or maybe you have not found it yet.
That’s okay too.
The goal is not to have all the answers. The goal is to stay curious enough to keep asking the questions.
What energizes you?
What makes you lose track of time?
What kind of impact do you want to make?
What would you do if you were not afraid of starting over?
Those questions can lead to remarkable discoveries.
I often meet women who tell me they wish they had made a change sooner. My response is always the same: the best time to start may have been years ago, but the second-best time is now.
The truth is that our lives are still unfolding. There are opportunities we have not imagined, friendships we have not formed, skills we have not developed, and passions we have not uncovered.
No matter your age, your title, your background, or your circumstances, there is still room to grow.
There is still room to dream.
There is still room to become.
For me, it’s nonprofits.
What’s yours?
Maybe it’s time to find out.
*National Alliance on Mental Illness – nami.org
